SIR,

Once again, this week, I am amazed to read letters berating one of Monmouth's major employers.

The girls' school is obviously a thriving business and its need to expand can only improve prospects for further income for the town and continued employment for hundreds of people.

I have read with surprise that some of the residents of The Gardens are appalled by the school's application to extend parking.

Have these residents not walked around The Gardens and surrounding roads and seen the extent of new buildings being erected in the gardens of their neighbours?

No one appears to be in uproar about this infill on green land. Surely this is bad for the neighbourhood and the environment, with all the concrete and extra cars which will now fill, where gardens were.

I'm sure many of these residents have benefitted handsomely from selling off their land.

The school has stood majestically in town for many years, which is more than can be said for some of the buildings being created in The Gardens.

The general accusation that the school has been underhand with it's planning applications seems rather foolish. They will have had to go through the same process as all others who want planning in the county.

I really do think we should embrace a successful member of our community and see just what it gives the town.

Monmouth is, to a large degree, its schools. They bring wealth to the town, keep our house prices buoyant, our high street busy and hundreds of local people in work.

Their need to expand is a good thing and the fact that they are bothered about the impact they may have on traffic in the area needs to be commended.

Keeping vehicles within their own curtilage would reduce congestion on both Hereford Road and The Gardens.

I'm struggling to see how this is a bad thing.

(Name and address supplied)